Portsmouth City Council has managed to successfully upgrade the lighting in the iconic Portsmouth Guildhall theatre. Not only that, but the new design has managed to accommodate the wide range of uses that the building enjoys, utilising appropriate colour rendering and the dimming capabilities of LED lighting - and without ruining it aesthetically with lots of new wiring.
The primary goals of the design brief were to provide the concert, theatre and conference space with higher light levels and improved control of lighting via the use of dimming technologies, as well as better energy efficiency in order to slash running costs for the building.
Drama by Design was charged with designing the system, which saw Hawthorn Theatrical supply the Global Design Solutions fixtures and control system to be installed by ICE Electrical, LEDs Magazine reported.
The project serves as a perfect example of the adaptability of retrofit lighting projects - be they for indoor or outdoor lighting, or garden lights.
With a building this old - dating back to 1890 - the delicate nature of the project presented certain difficulties for the design and installation teams. For example, the council was reluctant to see the venue - which hosts a range of events from orchestral evenings to rock concerts to council meetings - out of action for too long. In addition, due to the architecture, there were limited possibilities for installing new wiring.
It is because of a reluctance to fill the building with too many new cables that the lighting experts opted for wireless technology.
For people looking to install new lighting in their home or business - but similarly are reluctant to see reams of new wiring up and down the walls and stuffed behind skirting boards - wireless lighting technology could be a perfect solution for the property.
Andy Stone, theatre consultant from Drama by Design, said the project went extremely well and was completed ahead of schedule. He added that there had been "a dramatic improvement" in the venue's lighting levels, while their maintenance costs would thereafter be lower.
